Let's Dance
by Wryn Flynt
Summary: Ron is dealing with parenthood. Follow him from his daughter's birth to her wedding. happy oneshot. Set to Sarah Brown Eyes from Ragtime.


Let's dance

_**There was no music in my heart tonight**_

Ron kept pacing back and forth outside Mione's room in St. Mungo's. God what if something went wrong? What if she got hurt? Whose idea was it to have a baby anyway?

He groaned as he flopped unceremoniously into a chair and put his head in his hands. He wanted to be in there, holding his wife's hand and comforting her, not out here, pacing around useless.

**_Melodies kept refusing to flow_**

Why do people pace anyway? I mean what does it accomplish? It just moves you from one place to another, not very far away and with no system or rhythm to it.

"Ron mate," came Harry's voice, "You're pacing again."

He looked down and sure enough he was doing just that. Damn! Why was he so nervous!

"She's going to be fine Ron," Ginny's voice came with a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Ron sighed. She has to be. He didn't know what he'd do without her. Uhg! Why did they have to silence the rooms? What if she was calling for him? He wouldn't be able to hear her. He was just thinking of summoning some of Fred and George's extendable ears when a mediwitch opened the door.

"Come on in Mr. Weasley," she said as he entered the room, "Congratulations."

**_One look at you now every note feels right_**

The witch left and closed the door, leaving him with Hermione. She looked at him with the most brilliant smile any woman could ever smile. Good God she was radiant!

"Come meet your daughter Ron," Hermione said as she moved over to allow him room. He sat next to her and looked into the small bundle of blankets that she was cradling in her arms. He smiled at the abundance of brown curls that already crowned the newborn's head. Just like her mother. Then he saw the freckles. Just like him.

Oh she was perfect. The most perfect little thing he had ever seen. She was asleep, breathing softly onto her mother's chest.

**_Comin' out all sweet and slow_**

Hermione placed the child in his arms and he began to rock her softly. She snuggled against him in her sleep, her tiny fist gripping his shirt. She made a little gurgling noise at the back of her throat and he smiled. It was like music to his ears.

He took a deep breath. She even smelled right. Not like anything in particular just, _right_. Like she was his baby girl and always would be.

**_You tell stories like your hands play tunes_**

He looked up and found Hermione soundly asleep on her bed. She must be tired after what she went through. He sat in the chair next to the cot and promptly began to talk to his sleeping daughter about anything and everything he could think of.

Harry and the entire Weasley family entered soon thereafter, gazing in wonder at the new life in Ron's arms. They all talked quietly, not wanting to wake the child or Hermione, but the ever-stubborn Mione refused to stay asleep when they had company.

Ron hummed softly to his daughter as everyone checked up on his wife. The how are you's took a very long time as there were very many Weasleys asking but Ron eventually found himself at his wife's side once more.

"What are we going to name her?" she asked quietly. Ron's mind began to curl around his heartstrings, looking for the perfect name for his perfect daughter.

**_Sweetest tune I know is…_**

Then he knew. Without any hesitation he knew.

**_Sarah Brown Eyes_**

"Sarah," he said simply.

**_Don't be shy now_**

As if she'd heard her name called, Sarah snuggled closer into his chest and lifted a tiny hand. Hermione stroked the little palm with her index finger, smiling when the small knuckles curled around it.

"Perfect," she said as she smiled at Ron. He felt his knees go weak. She could still do that after everything they'd been through and he really couldn't remember having ever seen her so startlingly beautiful before.

**Sarah Brown Eyes oughtta take a chance**

"Come on Sarah!" Ron called. She stood there uncertainly, her young legs wavering slightly. Then she let go of the chair and took two steps toward him before plopping on her rear.

"She took her first steps! Did you see that?" Ron whooped excitedly, swooping down and picking his daughter up.

"Yes I saw it!" Hermione said as she slipped her hands around his waist from behind. He turned his head and kissed her sweetly before bestowing the same favor on his magnificent daughter.

**_The stars are silver notes across that sky now_**

Ron sits at the piano, plunking out an old ragtime tune as Sarah laughs. He stops and plants a kiss on her cheek, but she bats him away.

"More daddy!" she says as she plunks a few notes of her own. He consents and she goes whirling into the moonlight from the window, spinning. She stops as she sees the stars, and plays her game of trying to reach them.

Ron comes off the piano bench, picks her up, and settles her on his shoulders.

"Can't reach," she squeaks simply.

"Someday you will," he says softly as he puts her down.

"How?"

"Well I have four stars of my own," he begins with a smile. Her face lights up and she instantly begins to search the room. "No not here!" he says laughing. Hermione will have a fit if he lets her tear up the room. Speaking of Hermione, she came in just at that moment.

"Where daddy?" Sarah asks impatiently. Ron picks her up once more and walks to his wife.

"I have two right here," he explains, "once in each of your mother's eyes." Hermione smiles that disarming smile again and he melts. Sarah sticks up two fingers and then two more. She counts them three times to make sure she hasn't made any mistakes.

"Where are these?" she asks, holding up the two fingers.

He looks into his daughter's big eyes. Sure enough they're brown, just like her namesake. He leans down and kisses each of her eyelids.

"Right there and right there."

Sarah gasps and smiles with glee and flings her arms around her daddy's neck.

"Did you hear that Mummy! I've got two of Daddy's stars!" Hermione laughs at her daughter's joy and joins the embrace.

**_Sarah Brown Eyes, come let's dance_**

Ron puts on the record that Hermione had just given him for Christmas.

"Daddy! Daddy!" comes Sarah's excited squeak, "It's snowing!  
Come see!"

"Sarah! Wait!" he calls after her. She was about to run outside barefoot and he didn't want her to catch anything. He scoops her up just before her feet hit the snow.

"Daddy!" she squeals with false anger, "No fair!"

He laughs and sets her small feet down, one on top of each of his slippers. The music is still playing in the house and it filters out on the snowy wind.

"Come on," he says softly, "let's dance." She smiles and takes his hands. He moves his feet, her slight weight not affecting him at all. They danced in the snow for some time. Just him and his Brown Eyes.

**_I never heard no music quite like yours_**

"I like this music," she says as she stands with her head pressed against him.

"I'm glad you do," he smiled.

"It's fun to dance to." Ron laughs.

"My Sarah Brown Eyes."

**_Where'd you learn how to play it that way?_**

Ron was sitting at the piano again, watching his Sarah Brown Eyes dance around the living room.

"Where'd you learn to play like that daddy?" she asks when she's done.

"My dad taught me," he says as he starts another song.

"Will you teach me someday?"

"Sure Brown Eyes." She smiles and goes back to dancing.

**_Was I smart I'd walk right out those doors_**

Ron walks to Sarah's room and hears her crying.

"What's wrong Brown Eyes?" he asks his eight-year-old.

"The k-k-kids at school," she stutters out in between ragged breaths, "m-m-make fun of me for my hair and f-f-freckles!"

"Oh baby," he says as he cradles her, "I know it's hard but don't listen to them. You're beautiful and even if you don't think so just look at your mum. You're gonna look just like her when you grow up, you know that?"

"R-r-really?" she says as he wipes her tears away.

"Yes. And even if the kids at school don't see it, you'll always be my beautiful Brown Eyes."

Sarah smiles.

**_Then I got to make you stay_**

Ron, Hermione, and Sarah stepped through the wall onto Platform 9 ¾.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Ron says to his eleven-year-old. She nods and smiles, finally releasing his and Hermione's hands.

"I'm still nervous," she says.

"Don't worry," Mione says with a kiss on her head, "I'm sure Lily and the twins are around here somewhere."

As if on cue, Harry and Ginny stepped out of the mist with Lily, led by the thirteen-year-old twins.

"James! Sirius! Behave yourselves!" Harry barked as the twins bent down in front of Sarah.

"Calm down Dad!" James piped up.

"Yeah we were just giving Sarah back her wand," Sirius said as he held up the slim shaft of wood, "You dropped this."

"Thanks," she said with a smile. Then Lily put her arm through Sarah's.

"You ready to start our first year at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"No," Sarah said bluntly before turning back to her cousin with a smile, "Let's go." The girls had taken two steps when Sarah's wand turned into a rubber chicken with a loud squeak. She could hear James and Sirius laughing and she lobbed the chicken over the heads of the crowd. This resulted in joint "ows" from the twins as she had somehow managed to hit both of them at the same time.

"Boys! Where did you get that?" Harry asked sternly. Ron could see he was trying to be reprimanding, but the slight smile of approval on the corner of his lips gave him away.

"Uncle Fred gave it to us!" they responded in unison. The students were starting to board the train now.

"I asked them to look after the girls," Harry said, "Now I'm not sure if that was wise."

"Don't worry," Ron replied, his mischievous smile matching his best mate's, "I have a feeling that those girls are gonna give the twins a run for their galleons."

The train whistle sounded and Ron looked up, laughing at how the three Potters and one Weasley had managed to squeeze all four of their heads out one window.

"Bye Mum! Bye Dad!" they all cried.

"Bye Brown Eyes!" Ron yelled to his daughter. God, letting her go was harder than he thought.

"Don't worry mate," Harry reassured as he pat him on the back, "She'll be fine."

"I know."

**_Nothin' for it but a ragtime tune, on that piano_**

Ron sat at the piano, surrounded by friends and family at the Potter residence. Leave it to Harry to have the best New Years party. The whole family was there, not to mention most of their friends from the good old Hogwarts days and their kids too. Ron looked up to see Sarah coming down the stairs.

Good God. Who told her she was allowed to grow up? The drop-dead-gorgeous-sixteen-year-old walking down the stairs couldn't be the little girl who had shouted about having two of her daddy's stars in her eyes. When did that happen?

She looks over at him on the piano and smiles. Once she reaches him she hugs and stands by his side.

"I love that tune Dad," she says.

"I know you do Brown Eyes."

**_Sarah Brown Eyes don't be shy now_**

He goes to get a drink and takes the opportunity to look around. He stares for a moment at his wife, entranced as usual by her smile. Sarah was really starting to look like Mione too. He smiled just thinking of his girls, his beautiful girls.

Then his eyes fall on Sarah. She's over talking to the Creevey boy. What's his name again? Ben! Ha, harmless thing he his.

Suddenly Ron isn't so sure. Ben reaches out and touches her arm while they talk and Ron's temper begins to simmer. Then the boy tucks a strand of hair out of his Sarah's face. What is he doing touching my Brown Eyes? That's my baby girl you're touching there boy!

Then Hermione is there, perfect timing as usual, and she knows what he's thinking.

"Ron," she begins softly, "no need to rip anyone limb from limb. She likes him and she's growing up now. You can't hold on to her for the rest of her life you know."

"Why not?" he grumbles.

"I know it's hard," she smiles as she lays her head on his shoulder, "But you've got to do it."

"What would I do without you?" he asks as he turns to his wife.

"Goodness knows," she says slyly. He smiles and kisses her, making her shiver. He almost laughs. He's still got it.

**_Sarah Brown Eyes oughtta take a chance_**

Ron is back at the piano again, and Sarah asks him to play her song. He obliges all to quickly. Anything for his Brown Eyes.

"Uh Sarah?" Ben asks shyly.

"Yes?" she turns.

"Do you wanna dance?" he asks hopefully. She gives him a smile and nods.

Ron starts to glare. Those smiles are his and this boy has the nerve to ask his baby to dance while Ron is playing her song. Then there's a hand on his shoulder and he looks up to find his wife's smiling face. He sighs and goes back to playing. Yeah yeah I'm letting it go.

"5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!"

Then he sees it. Ben is leaning in. What does he think he's doing! Kissing my Brown Eyes! But then she kisses him back.

"Ron," Hermione scolds softly.

"But he's—" however he is cut off as Mione kisses him senseless, sending his mind reeling as if they'd just been married yesterday.

**_Silver notes across the sky now_**

Ron watches his daughter dancing with her new husband.

Married. His baby girl was _married_!

"Honey," Mione cam up behind him, reading his thoughts as usual.

"You should have let me at him on that night years ago," he said with a smile. Even he knew he didn't mean it. His baby is happy and that's all that matters.

"She's not a baby anymore," Mione says as she sees his thoughts once more.

"No," he sighs, "but she's still my baby girl." Hermione smiles and leaves him with a kiss before attending to the guests. Then Sarah is running to him and she throws her arms around his neck.

"Thank you Daddy!" She cries.

"You're welcome," he smiles, "Where's that husband of yours?"

"Oh Ben's dancing with Lily." Ron watches his daughter's eyes sparkle as they reflect the starlight. "Did you hear that?" she whispers softly, "I've got two of Daddy's stars."

And he starts to cry. Ron Weasley is crying at his own daughter's wedding reception.

"Yes you do Brown Eyes," he manages to choke out. She laughs softly and brushes his tears away.

"Come on," she coos, "let's dance."

**_Sarah Brown Eyes, come let's dance_**

"_Come on," he says softly, "let's dance." She smiles and takes his hands. He moves his feet, her slight weight not affecting him at all. They danced in the snow for some time. Just him and his Brown Eyes._


End file.
